Harrison Barnes tipped off his NBA career with 23 points in 25 summer-league minutes, but he didn't seem all too impressed.

"Obviously, I'm not playing against Kobe, LeBron or Kevin Durant, but it's an opportunity to get used to NBA speed and defense," Barnes said after the Warriors' 90-50 victory over the Lakers on Friday at the Cox Pavilion on the UNLV campus.

The Warriors' No. 7 overall pick has already lived through all of the hype, so he's not about to add to it. Coming out of Ames, Iowa, Barnes was ranked the nation's best overall prospect, was compared to Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady, and had Jordan as his middle name.

He went 53-0 his final two high school seasons, winning back-to-back state titles as 3,000-plus fans a night squeezed into his school's gym and more waited outside the door.

His legend grew as he had MVP performances at both the McDonald's All-America Game and Jordan Brand Classic, and he Skyped his commitment to North Carolina coach Roy Williams.

By the time he arrived in Chapel Hill, N.C., it was common knowledge in the basketball world that Barnes put himself through predawn individual workouts on bitter cold Iowa mornings. He was the first freshman to be named to the Associated Press' Preseason All-America team - days before he played a single minute.

"I think Harrison finally became the player that everybody tried to make him out to be," said Kendall Marshall at the NBA combine, regarding his Tar Heels teammate. "That's not to insult his game, at all. Sometimes players just have to grow into that. I think he's done a great job of adjusting to the role."

It would have been a tall order to live up to the expectations. He averaged 16.3 points and 5.5 points a game in two seasons with the Tar Heels, but NBA scouts picked apart every detail lacking from his game. By the time the draft came around, the former No. 1 player in the nation was passed over by six teams.

"I just tried to take it in stride, because my focus was on winning," Barnes said. "I look at doubters as people who give me an opportunity to prove something."

Having dealt with hordes of media since he was young, it comes naturally to the 20-year-old now. His posture is poised and his words are polished, but it's obvious that he doesn't enjoy it.

Some of the very people who flocked to his high school math classes and asked him to keep a diary for their publications are the same people who ripped his college career.

But there was little to dislike about his offensive game Friday. He filled the fastbreak lanes and finished with strength and athleticism, he drove into the lane and scored on a floater, and he went 4-for-4 from the three-point line. Even on a night when Klay Thompson had 24 points on 6-of-8 three-point shooting, Barnes might have had the more impressive outing.

"He shot the lights out, got to the hole and defended well," second-round pick Draymond Green said. "He has a lot of doubters, so it was nice for him to start out with that kind of performance."

Warriors debuts

How the Warriors' top three draft picks fared in a 90-50 summer- league win over the Lakers: